By Wesley Skym, ITA Second Vice-President
For myself and many other teachers, the classroom is a home away from home. It’s not just a workplace; it’s a creative space, study, dining area, conference room, and (on long conference days) it may even be a place to take a nap. Because of this, there is an urge to decorate and make it our own, which in turn affects the learning and relationships built within. Adding personality through classroom décor is a form of expression; showing some of our interests, memories, and playful side. In this article, I will detail a few ways that I add that spunk, from conversation starters to classroom equipment/setup ideas. While the examples here are based on my middle school drama classroom, many of them apply to high school classrooms as well.
BROADWAY HOT TAKES COORDINATE PLANE
The first idea I am going to show off is one of my favorites that came into fruition from a discussion between myself and a coworker (to no one’s surprise, the music director) after seeing a production of Dear Evan Hansen at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. We talked through musicals and how people rank them, eventually settling on music and plot as our main factors. From there, we devised an idea for a chart that places musicals based on our own takes, which started in a digital format. When I shared this idea with a theatre parent, she created an interactive piece for my classroom as a gift. Using a blank magnetic white board and small laminated cards with magnets attached, the Broadway Hot Takes Coordinate Plane (TM but not really) came to life. I share this here not to enforce my opinions (please be kind), but to show how something simple can create discussion and creativity. Since displaying in my classroom, I have had countless fun debates and conversations with students regarding shows and where they belong on the chart. “We need to do well in The Lightning Thief so Mr. Skym moves it to good music,” “How is The Outsiders at the top?! It changes so much from the book!,” “Yeah, I saw Music Man at ____ and I didn’t really like it because ___,” “Is _____ up there? Oh my god you have to see it!” I’ve had a lot of fun with these discussions with both kids in my extracurricular program and outisde. If you’re interested, here is a digital version on Google Slides that you can make a copy of to create your own: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1F_krlu81kBu0EwNJ0hOyeD0QXbKbDhUahRP0dvy2ae8/edit?usp=drivesdk. Click File -> Make a Copy, feel free to change up the x and y labels, and or remove shows, or even turn it into an interactive classroom activity!
“WALL OF FAME” PROGRAM DISPLAY
Many of my students participate in theatre productions in the surrounding community, and I’m always happy to go support them when invited. I keep a wall of programs from these shows, including when I see alumni, to promote an interest in theatre beyond my classroom. Students take great pride in their work in other shows, and they enjoy being able to point out their program to their classmates. Sometimes I have them sign the program, but most of the time I end up just highlighting their names in the cast and crew lists. Just a good way to liven up the walls with some theatre-related art!
PROP CLOSET
A prop closet is great for a gen-ed type drama class. I have found that props help increase student buy-in within their scene work, especially for non theatre-kids. I am lucky to have a room big enough where I can set up a makeshift prop closet specifically for the props available for classroom projects. To create this, I set up a standing divider to keep the area mostly “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” to avoid distractions during class. Then I used basic wire shelving and recycled boxes that our school’s printer paper comes in for prop bins. I have built my available props up over the years in addition to props left from the previous teacher, allowing for a variety of hats, food items, and miscellaneous other props and costume pieces for students to use in scenes. Lately, I have purchased some food props from Amazon and added 3D-printed cell phones for scene use courtesy of our STEM teacher. Overall, a dedicated area for props with rules for organization is a must. And yes, the ISU blanket is a requirement, too.
GRADUATION CEILING TILES
Every year, my 8th grade graduates who have been involved in the extracurricular program design, paint, and sign a ceiling tile that gets put on display in my classroom. This is something I remember seeing when I was in high school, and it has become a fun tradition for my students. They get excited about leaving their mark, even if they don’t plan on continuing in theatre. I will warn that this idea requires principal and potentially district facilities approval, but students notice these right away and talk about how they want to sign the tile their 8th grade year.
REHEARSAL CUBES
I’m sure most theatre teachers are familiar with the concept of rehearsal blocks. I went without them for a few years, using classroom furniture instead. While this is doable, the flexibility of a classroom block set has been very helpful in scene work both in class and in the extracurricular program. If you do not currently have a set of your own, definitely try to get one. Mine was purchased via a district-based grant that I earned, which was much more achievable than building them considering we do not have a scene shop. The only cubes I could really find online for sale were from Georgia Stage: https://gastage.com/196-stage-cubes?srsltid=AU7gw4V54oYnO7jlcFi0KLNu4HN2Q8n1wbttjTOrnY-F3ME8vGnYbjkA. With the cost of lumber, these can get pretty expensive these days. If you have some dedicated, crafty parents or a scenic designer, you might be able to get a set built for cheaper. Here are some instructions from EdTA to help: https://schooltheatre.org/cubes/.
